Self-cleaning locomotive draft appliance



Aug. 2, 1932. A. GIESL-GIESL|NGEN SELF CLEANING LOCOMOTIVE DRAFT APPLIANCE Filed April 5, 1950 Patented Aug. 2, 1932 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- ADOLF GIESL-GIESLINGEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SELF-CLEANING LOCOMOTIVE DRAFT APPLIANCE Application filed April 5, 1930. Serial No. 441,894.

The invention relates to steam locomotives able with this customary arrangement for the in which the draft required for the fire is crefollowing reasons: Steam production and ated by suction obtained from the exhaust corresponding quantity of combustion gas steam. rise much quicker with boiler size than the 6 It is the object of draft appliances to crecross sectional area of the smokebox through 55 ate said draft with minimum back pressure which the gases have to pass. Furthermore, on the locomotive engine and, usually, to disthe area of the Smokestack is governed by the charge into the atmosphere the cinders ennecessity of having it at all times filled by the trained by the gas flow, thereby eliminating exhaust steam jet, in order to secure good suethe necessity of cleaning the smokebox and tion power; it is clear, therefore, that the eliminating the danger of getting clogged area of the smokestack in a given drafting arup during long runs. Furthermore, means rangement cannot be increased beyond a cermust be provided to prevent the discharge of tain point. Owing to the. natural character glowing particles of such heat capacity that of the steam jet, a larger area will be filled they could start fires along the road. Fig. 1 by the same if the height of the smokestack, 65 is a longitudinal view of a generally acceptor the distance from the exhaust nozzle to the ed construction of locomotive front-end, as topof the stack, is being increased; likewise, the combination of draft appliances and a smaller area of stack will be necessary if smokebox is often termed. Figures 2 and 3 said distance is being decreased, which is 0 are longitudinal views of locomotive front generally the case with larger locomotives, 70 ends, showing preferred ways in which my the boilers of which have to be placed higher invention can be put into practice as hereinwhile the total height to the top of the smokeafter more specifically set forth. Referring stack is governed by the loading gauge. to Fig. 1: The draft appliance is housed It is a primary object of my invention to in the smokebox 1. The combustion gases eliminate the excessive restrictions encoun- 7 enter at the left and, by meansofa partition, tered by the gas flow in smokebox and smoke are forced to follow the direction indicated stack as above described, thereby eliminating by the arrows, said partition consisting esthe principal cause of excessive back pressentially of the so-called diaphragm 2 and sure, and to accomplish this without creating the table plate 8. The exhaust steam, escapany other drawbacks to etficient blast action.

ing from the nozzle 4 on top of the 'stand Another object of my invention is to perpipe 5 and above the surrounding table plate mit of an especially effective use of an inter- .3. entrains the combustion gases and dismediate nozzle between exhaust tip and charges them. through the stack 6. A netsmokestack, thereby increasing the efficiency ting 7 serves to hold back larger coal partiof the blast action and further decreasing cles. This arrangement constitutes a selfback pressure. The intermediate nozzle furcleaning front-end, as the partition causes a ther permits of restricting and lore-determinrapid gas flow and allows substantially no ing the amount. of gas that is allowed to mix dead corners to exist in the smokebox, wherewith the exhaust steam under the table plate.

by undue accumulation of cinder-s is avoided. It is another obiect of my invention to give While this customary arrangement as dethe designer full freedom in choosing the poscribed proved satisfactory on small steam siti on of the so-called table plate or partition locomotives, great trouble is being experiin the smokebox. thereby obtaining just the enced on powerful locomotives due to the fact gas velocity which is required to secure that exhaust nozzles have to be made'verv proper self-cleaning action of the front-end. small in order to secure the required draft, It appears from either one of the Figures resulting in power losses of 15 to 20 per cent 1, 2, or 3 that the usual partition 2, 3 divides and more of the total engine performance. the smokebox into what may be termed a Excessive restrictions to the gas flow are the lower and an upper chamber in such. a way source of these power losses and are unavoidthat the combustion gases enter the lower chamber as they come from the boiler tubes, whereupon they are forced to flow rapidly along the bottom of the smokebox in order to sweep out cinders and other partlcles that would otherwise accumulate on said bottom.

To the above ends my invention provides for the mixing of the exhaust steam with a part of the combustion gases under the table plate and before the gases pass around the front edge of said table plate, while the remaining part mixes with the steam above the table plate in the usual manner, and I prefer to place between exhaust nozzle and stack an intermediate nozzle, located within an opening of the table plate or otherwise so located that that part of the combustion gases which is being entrained by the exhaust jet before said exhaust jet enters said intermediate nozzle, flows from said lower into said upper chamber through said intermediate nozzle.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view of a locomotive front-end, showing one of the preferred ways in which this invention can be put into practice: On the standpipe 5, the exhaust nozzle 4, is placed as low as desired in order to obtain sufiicient distance to the top of the smokebox with the object of using a properly sized stack. A part of the gases, the amount of which can be predetermined by calculation to obtain best conditions, follows the arrow 11, through the netting 10 and comes into contact with the entraining steam, whereupon it passes up through the intermediate nozzle 8 and the surrounding table plate 3 into the upper smokebox. chamber and hence into the stack. The remaining part of the gases passes through the netting 7 following the arrow 12 and mixing with the. steam above the table plate 3. Said table plate may be inclined, for example, and adjustable in such a way as to give the free gas passage desired. It appears that the intermediate nozzle 8, as it is located according to this invention, may be regarded as being a primary smokestack discharging from the lower smokebox chamber into the upper, while the main Smokestack discharges from the upper chamber into the atmosphere. As shown, the intermediate nozzle is preferably smaller in cross-sectional area than the stack, whereby a sufiicient gas flow around the front edge of the table plate is maintained, and proper self-cleaning action is secured.

It is not essential to provide a netting 10 under the table. plate, as experience shows that in this first part of the combustion gases which come into contact with acomparati-Vely cool steam, glowing particles are being cooled sufficiently to prevent the danger of starting fires. Furthermore, any other construction of nettings can be used in place of the examples given, or suitably arranged deflector plates can be substituted for the nettings in well-known manner. In very restricted smokeboxes or on large locomotives it may also be desirable to use a perforated table plate.

It is also understood, of course, that this invention can be applied in connection with any desired construction or shape and crosssection of stack or intermediate nozzle, or a number of intermediate nozzles. Fig. 3, for example, shows a longitudinal view of a preferred front-end arrangement in which an intermediate nozzle 13 is used, with the object of dividing the exhaust jet and obtaining a still larger sectional area of the stack.

It is also sometimes of advantage to use two or more exhaust nozzles, discharging into one or more smokestacks. A further possibility is the use of a Smokestack of other than circular section with a corresponding shape of exhaust nozzle.

The effect of this invention is so marked thatv a reduction in exhaust pressure to or /3 is obtainable as compared to the customary arrangement shown in- Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. In a locomotive using exhaust steam for obtaining draft, the combination with a smolrebox, said smokebox being divided by a partition inside substantially in the described manner, means of discharging the combustion gases to the atmosphere by the action of the exhaust steam jet or jets, said exhaust steam passing through said partition and being discharged into the smoke box and coming in contact with a part of the combustion gases before passing through the partition, while coming in contact or entraining the remaining part of the combustion gases after having passed through said partition.

2. In a locomotive using exhaust steam for obtaining draft, the combination with a smokebox, said smokebox being divided by a partition inside substantially in the de scribed manner, an exhaust nozzle discharging substantially the whole exhaust steam which is available for creating draft and a smokestack so arranged that the said exhaust steam passes through the partition on its way to the stack, and an intermediate nozzle between said first exhaust nozzle and stack, characterized by the fact that part of the combustion gases comes in contact with said exhaust steam before the exhaust jet passes through said partition, while the remaining part of the combustion gases comes in contact with the mixture of exhaust steam and said first part of the gases after the exhaust jet passed through said partition, it being understood that multiple nozzles and/or smokestacks can be incorporated in place of single ones.

3. In a locomotive using exhaust steam for obtaining draft, the combination with a smokebox, said smokebox being divided by a partition inside forming a lower and an upper chamber substantially in the described manner, an exhaust nozzle discharging substantially the whole exhaust steam which is available for creating draft and a smokestack so arranged that the said exhaust steam passes through the partition on its way to the stack, and an intermediate nozzle between said first exhaust nozzle and stack, characterized by the fact that that part of the combustion gases which is being entrained by said exhaust steam before the exhaust jet enters said intermediate nozzle, flows from said lower into said upper chamber through said intermediate nozzle.

4. The combination claimed in claim 3, characterized by the further fact that the intermediate nozzle has a smaller minimum cross-sectional area than the stack.

5. In a locomotive using exhaust steam for obtaining draft, the combination with a smokebox, said smokebox being divided by a partition inside substantially in the described manner and for the purpose specified, an exhaust nozzle discharging substantially the whole exhaust steam which is available for creating draft and a Smokestack so arranged that the said exhaust steam passes through the partition on its way to the stack, and an intermediate nozzle having a smaller minimum cross-sectional area than said stack, said intermediate nozzle being located between said first exhaust nozzle and stack and Within an opening in the said partition.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ADOLF GIESL-GIESLINGEN. 

